Chip Jaggers

Chip Jaggers was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and spent most of his young life in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Taylor University from 1965-1969, and after graduation he took a job as a youth director at a large church in Hamilton, Ohio. There he met Verna Hensley, and they married in 1970. In 1971, they returned to Indiana and Chip received his master's degree in Student Development Administration from Ball State., Chip was hired by Taylor University in 1972 as Associate Dean of Students, and he went on to work at Taylor for the next 24 years, serving as VP of Student Development, VP of Advancement, and VP of University Relations. He also earned his Doctorate of Education from Ball State in 1985. In 1996, Chip felt the calling to leave Taylor and went to work at Ball State as Director of University Communications., Chip served as a community representative on the Eastbrook Community Schools Strategic Planning Task Force in 1990. He was a member of the Grant County Economic Growth Council from 1994-1996 and served on the Grant County Area Planning Commission from 1998-2001. Chip was a charter member of Our Town Upland in 1992 and served as a member until 2017. He helped initiate the Master Plan of Upland with Ball State, and he served as a trustee of the Minnetrista Cultural Foundation. He was a member of Upland Town Council from 1997-2017, serving as president for a time., During his years working with different groups in Upland, Chip worked to help bring the Depot back in 1994, and he and Warren Ross spearheaded the original Community Plunge efforts, which paired Taylor University students with work projects around Upland to serve Upland residents., Chip imagined an event that would bring the entire town of Upland together, and this lead he, Warren Ross, and others to create the annual Upland Christmas Tree Lighting, which they co-presided over each December for its first 25 years. Chip and Verna were asked to light the tree in 2016, and Chip counts this as an honor and highlight of his life., Chip and Verna raised their two children, Craig and Heather, in Upland. They both attended Eastbrook schools and Taylor University, Verna taught for over 20 years in Eastbrook Public Schools and served on the board of Kiddie Kampus preschool. The Jaggers lived, worked, worshiped, and participated in the Upland community and believed they were the beneficiaries of what others had created before them. They were so grateful that they wanted to give back to the community that had been so good to them., Most recently, Chip has served as Stewardship Pastor of Northview Church in Carmel, and he is currently teaching as an adjunct professor in Taylor University's Masters in Ministry program. Chip and Verna live near their daughter and her family in Carmel, Indiana.